Emoji could release new gender inclusive icons!

Publish Date

Wednesday, 22 March 2017, 2:34PM

It's safe to say we've come a long way since the first Emojis, I mean, we even have an avocado now! But unsurprisingly, with such a globally used set of icons, there are going to be a few things that miss out.

Emojis have been criticised in the past for their lack of inclusion. In 2015, Apple released 5 new racially diverse skin colours as options for their people Emojis, but there was still a problem with some of the characters.

All of the characters were either traditionally male or female. There was also controversy surrounding the activity and gender roles of Emojis. Characters like the police officer and construction worker are exclusively represented as men, and the haircut and massage Emojis were only available as females - a decision most likely made to keep options more simple. While Apple have released these types of Emojis in both genders, there is still a gap for those who identify as gender neutral.

However, a designer may have found a solution. Paul D. Hunt has put together a proposal to release characters with "gender inclusive visual attributes" which are open to interpretation. He explained that "not everyone identifies as male or female. Some of us identify as a bit of both, or neither, or something else altogether. Regardless of your gender identity, I hope we can all find adequate ways to express ourselves in emoji."